The invention relates, generally, to a practice batting training apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a baseball or softball training apparatus, which can accurately and consistently deliver balls to a desired location at a desired speed.
It is said that hitting is one of the most difficult skills to master in all of sports. To hit a ball well, a hitter must be able to coordinate the swing of the bat with the various positions of the ball at which it may cross home plate, from an inside pitch to an outside pitch, and from a high pitch to a low pitch, and various combinations in between. A hitter must also be able to coordinate the timing of the swing of the bat with the various speeds of the ball, from a fastball to a changeup. Generally, a good swing is one where the batter contacts the ball when it is at a position in front of home plate, thus allowing the batter's wrist to roll or snap as the ball is hit, thereby producing increased momentum of the bat for hitting power. Moreover, it is better to hit ground balls or line drives, rather than pop-ups or fly balls. To hit grounders or line drives, the batter must hit the upper half of the ball. To accomplish this, batters must be able to swing the bat along a proper plane or angle.
To develop these skills, trainers or coaches often use conventional batting tees. Batting tees are well known for use in improving the hitting of baseball and softball players. Typically, batting tees have a base shaped like home plate with a pipe or post extending upwardly from the center of the plate and terminating in a tee element. Usually, the tee element is a flexible piece of rubber upon which a baseball or softball to be hit may be supported. The height of the ball upon the tee is usually adjustable to simulate high and low pitches, as well as for use by different size players. However, such conventional batting tees lack the ability to develop timing skills because the ball remains stationary. In addition, conventional tees do not simulate inside and outside pitches for the hitter because the post is fixed in the center of the plate.
To develop timing and location skills, trainers and coaches often soft-toss to hitters. In other words, someone will toss a ball, usually underhanded, to a batter. This method can be especially helpful for younger players. However, it is difficult for a coach or trainer to accurately and consistently soft-toss a baseball or softball to the same location at the same speed. Similarly, automated pitching machines do not deliver balls consistently to the same location at the same speed. Automated pitching machines are also large, expensive, and not very portable. Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive and portable batting training apparatus that can accurately and consistently deliver a baseball or softball to the same location at the same speed.